Live Events & Tickets in Dublin

GAA in Dublin

Dublin's GAA calendar runs on Croke Park (82,300) in Drumcondra, the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association and the cathedral of hurling and Gaelic football. The All-Ireland Hurling Final and the All-Ireland Football Final are the season's ceiling — the two biggest sporting and cultural events in the country — and the ground also carries the Leinster Senior Football and Hurling Championship double-headers, the National League finals and the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Dublin's own footballers and hurlers run their Championship campaigns out of Croke Park, with the county's traditional home, Parnell Park in Donnycarney, holding the smaller league and challenge fixtures. The Hill 16 terrace behind the goal at the Canal End is the home of the Dublin support.

The GAA Museum at Croke Park and the stadium skyline tour cover the history of the games. Tickets for the marquee Championship dates move fast and the All-Ireland Finals routinely sell out well in advance.

Soccer in Dublin

Dublin soccer splits between the international stage and the League of Ireland clubs. The Aviva Stadium (51,700) on Lansdowne Road is the home of the Republic of Ireland men's and women's national teams, hosting UEFA Nations League, qualifying and friendly internationals.

At club level, the League of Ireland Premier Division runs through the spring-to-autumn season: Bohemians play at Dalymount Park in Phibsborough, Shelbourne at Tolka Park in Drumcondra, St Patrick's Athletic at Richmond Park in Inchicore, and Shamrock Rovers — the country's most successful club — at Tallaght Stadium in the southwest of the county. The Dublin derby between Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers is one of the fiercest fixtures in Irish football.

The FAI Cup Final fills the Aviva each November. Friday nights are the traditional League of Ireland slot, and tickets for derbies and European nights sell hard.

Rugby in Dublin

Dublin rugby runs heavy and historic. The Aviva Stadium (51,700) on Lansdowne Road — Ireland's national rugby ground on the site of the old Lansdowne Road, the oldest international rugby venue in the world — is the home of the Ireland men's and women's teams, hosting the Six Nations Championship and the Autumn Internationals.

Leinster Rugby, one of the most successful sides in European club rugby, plays its United Rugby Championship home dates at the RDS Arena in Ballsbridge and moves the bigger Investec Champions Cup knockout fixtures to the Aviva to take the larger crowd. Donnybrook Rugby Ground carries Energia All-Ireland League club rugby, Old Wesley and Bective Rangers.

The Dublin clubs — Lansdowne, Old Belvedere, Blackrock College, Terenure College, St Mary's College and Clontarf — run the AIL programme through the winter. Tickets for Six Nations Saturdays and Leinster European nights are the hardest to get in the city.

Hockey and ice sports in Dublin

Dublin's indoor and minority sports run alongside the big-ground game. The National Basketball Arena in Tallaght hosts the Basketball Ireland Super League and national-team fixtures, and the National Indoor Arena at the Sport Ireland Campus in Blanchardstown carries athletics, indoor sport and combat events.

Field hockey is strong in the south Dublin suburbs, with international fixtures played at the national hockey stadium at UCD in Belfield. The National Aquatic Centre in Blanchardstown hosts swimming galas and water-sport events.

Dublin's college sport runs through UCD, Trinity and DCU, fielding sides across rugby, soccer, GAA, hockey and athletics. The Dublin Marathon every autumn fills the city-centre streets, and Leopardstown Racecourse in Foxrock and Fairyhouse a short drive north carry the horse-racing calendar including the Christmas Festival.

Big match days in Dublin

St Patrick's weekend in March overlaps the closing rounds of the Six Nations, when an Ireland fixture at the Aviva turns the whole city into one match-day crowd. The summer GAA Championship is the calendar's anchor — Leinster Championship double-headers, the All-Ireland series and the Finals fill Croke Park (82,300) across June, July and August with the country's biggest single-day attendances.

The Investec Champions Cup rugby knockout rounds bring Leinster's marquee European nights to the Aviva each spring. The FAI Cup Final fills the Aviva each November, and the League of Ireland title run-in tightens the Dublin derbies in the autumn.

The Autumn Internationals in November bring the Southern Hemisphere touring sides to Lansdowne Road. Each of these is a sell-out-class day where tickets move months ahead.

Affordable tickets in Dublin

Dublin's most affordable sport is the League of Ireland — Premier Division tickets at Dalymount Park, Tolka Park, Richmond Park and Tallaght Stadium are among the best-value live sport in the country, with terrace and ground admission well below the international tier. GAA league fixtures at Parnell Park in Donnycarney and the early-round Championship dates carry far cheaper admission than the All-Ireland Finals at Croke Park.

Energia All-Ireland League club rugby at Donnybrook, Lansdowne, Old Belvedere and the Dublin club grounds is low-cost or free to walk into on a winter Saturday. College sport at UCD, Trinity and DCU is open and inexpensive, the Dublin Marathon every autumn is free to watch from the streets, and the GAA Museum at Croke Park runs the stadium tour for the history.

For the marquee fixtures, the live listings on this page surface the best available inventory.

Live sport in Dublin

Live sport is the central nervous system of Dublin's calendar — the city you cannot walk through on a match Saturday without hearing the crowds. Above everything sit the two stadium giants: Croke Park (82,300) in Drumcondra for GAA and the Aviva Stadium (51,700) on Lansdowne Road for rugby and soccer internationals.

The RDS Arena in Ballsbridge is Leinster Rugby's regular United Rugby Championship home. Below the international tier, the League of Ireland clubs — Bohemians at Dalymount Park, Shelbourne at Tolka Park, St Patrick's Athletic at Richmond Park, Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium — carry the weekly football.

Donnybrook Rugby Ground holds Energia All-Ireland League club rugby, Parnell Park in Donnycarney is Dublin GAA's traditional home, and the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght and the National Indoor Arena in Blanchardstown round out the indoor sport. The county-rivalry culture along the Croke Park terraces and the Dublin derby intensity in League of Ireland football remain the heartbeat.

Match-day nightlife in Dublin

Dublin's match-day pub scene splits along the grounds. Around Croke Park, the North Strand and Drumcondra pubs — the Hill 16, Quinn's, the Big Tree, Gaffney's — fill from early afternoon on GAA Championship and All-Ireland weekends, with 60,000-plus moving through the area.

Around the Aviva Stadium, the Ballsbridge and Lansdowne Road pubs and the wider south city-centre rugby-pub circuit pull the Six Nations crowd from late morning through last orders. The Liberties craft-pub circuit and the Guinness Storehouse anchor the bigger fixture days, and the city-centre pubs along Dame Street, Camden Street and Wexford Street carry the post-match crowd late into the evening.

Around Dalymount Park and Tolka Park on the Northside, the local Phibsborough and Drumcondra pubs run the Friday-night League of Ireland trade. Last orders push toward 2.30 a.m. on weekends.

Temple Bar / City Centre

Temple Bar between Dame Street and the Liffey is Dublin's most tourist-heavy quarter and a natural staging post for match-day crowds heading to the grounds. It sits on the Luas and within walking distance of the rail and tram links out to Croke Park and the Aviva, so the tourist-pub triangle — the Temple Bar pub, the Quays, the Auld Dubliner, the Oliver St John Gogarty, the Palace Bar — fills with rugby and GAA supporters before and after the bigger fixtures.

The city-centre sports pubs run live coverage of every Ireland international, Leinster European night and League of Ireland derby on the screens. Dublin Castle and Trinity College sit at either end, and Trinity itself fields college sides across rugby, soccer, GAA and hockey.

The quarter is the easiest base from which to reach all the major Dublin venues on foot or by tram.

Camden Street / Wexford Street

Camden Street and Wexford Street running south from the Bleeding Horse pub down toward Harrington Street are one of the densest pub corridors in Dublin, and the city's locals' alternative to Temple Bar for watching the match. The strip's sports pubs run live coverage of every Six Nations Saturday, Leinster fixture, Ireland soccer international and Dublin GAA Championship date, and pull a heavy crowd before and after the bigger games at Croke Park and the Aviva.

The Camden, the Lower Deck, the Bleeding Horse, the Hairy Lemon and Cassidy's keep the pub side of the strip running. The corridor sits a short tram or walk from St Stephen's Green and the city-centre rail links out to the stadiums.

Camden Street's late-bar density is the highest in the south city for the post-match crowd.

Smithfield / Northside

Smithfield and the Northside cover Dublin's quieter, more lived-in quarter, and sit on the route out to the Northside grounds. The Luas Red Line runs through Smithfield and connects to Connolly Station, the rail hub for the short hop up to Croke Park on a GAA match day.

Dalymount Park in nearby Phibsborough — the historic home of Bohemians and the spiritual home of Irish football — and Tolka Park in Drumcondra, home of Shelbourne, anchor the Northside's League of Ireland football. The Cobblestone pub off Smithfield Square and the local Northside pubs — Hughes' Bar on Chancery Street, the Confession Box, the Glimmer Man and the Belfry — pull the match-day trade.

Jameson Distillery Bow Street and the visitor cluster anchor the western edge of the quarter.

Croke Park / North Strand

Croke Park (82,300) up in Drumcondra is the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association and the cathedral of hurling and Gaelic football. The All-Ireland Finals fill the place every summer and the Leinster Championship double-headers and All-Ireland semi-finals run through June, July and August.

The surrounding North Strand and Drumcondra pubs — the Hill 16, Quinn's, the Big Tree, Gaffney's — pull match-day crowds with 60,000-plus people moving through the area on All-Ireland weekends. Drumcondra rail station and Connolly Station on the Luas Red Line drop visitors straight into the area.

Parnell Park in nearby Donnycarney is Dublin GAA's traditional home for league and challenge games. The GAA Museum at Croke Park covers the history of Gaelic games and the stadium itself, and the skyline tour runs along the roof of the ground.

Aviva Stadium / Donnybrook

The Aviva Stadium (51,700) on Lansdowne Road in Ballsbridge is the home of Ireland rugby and soccer — the Six Nations matches in February and March, the Autumn Internationals in November and the men's and women's soccer internationals year-round. The Aviva also takes Leinster Rugby's marquee Investec Champions Cup nights and the FAI Cup Final each November.

The Lansdowne Road DART station drops crowds at the gate. Donnybrook Rugby Ground a mile south carries Donnybrook RFC, Old Wesley, Bective Rangers and the bigger Energia All-Ireland League dates.

The Ballsbridge and Donnybrook pubs — the Old Wesley clubhouse, Kiely's of Donnybrook, Crowes — pull match-day crowds. The RDS Arena in Ballsbridge handles Leinster's regular United Rugby Championship home dates.

Tallaght / South-West County

Tallaght and the southwest of the county carry Dublin's modern sporting venues. Tallaght Stadium is the home of Shamrock Rovers, the most successful club in League of Ireland history, and hosts their Premier Division and European nights along with the Republic of Ireland women's national team and underage internationals.

The National Basketball Arena in Tallaght is the home of Basketball Ireland, hosting the Super League and national-team fixtures. The Luas Red Line runs out to Tallaght and drops crowds close to the ground.

Leopardstown Racecourse in nearby Foxrock carries the horse-racing calendar including the Christmas Festival, and the wider south county fields strong club rugby, GAA and hockey sides. The Tallaght pubs and the village centre pull the match-day crowd before and after the football.

January

The Six Nations Championship build-up dominates the new year, with Ireland's first fixtures landing at the Aviva Stadium from late January or early February. Leinster Rugby runs its United Rugby Championship home dates at the RDS Arena through the winter, with the Investec Champions Cup pool rounds in the mix.

The Dublin GAA footballers and hurlers open their National League campaigns at Parnell Park and Croke Park, and the League of Ireland clubs run pre-season build-up toward the spring kick-off.

February

The Six Nations Championship runs through February with Ireland home matches at the Aviva Stadium pulling 51,700 fans plus the city-centre rugby-pub crowds. Leinster Rugby continues its URC and Champions Cup home dates at the RDS Arena.

The GAA National Football and Hurling Leagues run full programme with Dublin fixtures at Croke Park and Parnell Park. The League of Ireland Premier Division season kicks off, bringing Bohemians, Shelbourne, St Patrick's Athletic and Shamrock Rovers back to their grounds.

March

The Six Nations Championship reaches its climax in mid-March, with the closing Ireland fixtures at the Aviva pulling the biggest rugby crowds of the year and St Patrick's weekend turning the whole city into one match-day throng. The GAA National Leagues build toward their finals, and the Dublin footballers and hurlers tune up for the Championship.

The League of Ireland season is in full swing with the first Dublin derbies of the year. Leinster Rugby enters the knockout business end of the URC and Champions Cup.

April

April brings the Investec Champions Cup rugby knockout rounds, with Leinster's bigger European fixtures moving from the RDS Arena to the Aviva Stadium to take the larger crowd. The GAA National League finals run at Croke Park and the provincial Championship draws come into focus.

The League of Ireland Premier Division settles into its early-season form. The Aviva and the RDS carry the heaviest run of Leinster's European spring as the club chases the latter stages.

May

The Investec Champions Cup Final stage arrives in May when Leinster reach the final weekends, and the URC playoffs run at the RDS Arena and beyond. The Leinster Senior Football and Hurling Championship opens, building toward the Croke Park double-headers.

The League of Ireland season tightens through the spring with the Dublin derbies between Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers heating up. The Dublin GAA Championship campaign begins to take shape.

June

The GAA Championship moves into its summer peak — the Leinster Senior Football and Hurling Finals at Croke Park and the opening rounds of the All-Ireland series fill the ground. Dublin's footballers and hurlers run their provincial and All-Ireland campaigns.

The League of Ireland Premier Division runs its busy summer schedule with Friday-night fixtures across Dalymount Park, Tolka Park, Richmond Park and Tallaght Stadium. Ireland soccer internationals can land at the Aviva in the June international window.

July

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship reaches its semi-finals and final stages at Croke Park in July, with the country's biggest hurling crowds filling the ground. The All-Ireland Senior Football quarter-finals and semi-finals run through the month.

Dublin's footballers chase deep into the Championship. The League of Ireland season runs full programme through midsummer, and Tallaght Stadium, Dalymount Park and Tolka Park carry the weekly football.

The summer is the busiest stretch of the Croke Park calendar.

August

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final and the All-Ireland Senior Football semi-finals and final fill Croke Park (82,300) across August — the two biggest sporting and cultural days in the country, with the visiting county colours flooding the city. Dublin's footballers contest the latter stages of the All-Ireland series in front of the Hill 16 support.

The League of Ireland Premier Division enters its title run-in, and the European qualifying rounds bring continental nights to Tallaght Stadium and Dalymount Park.

September

The All-Ireland Senior Football Final, traditionally the showpiece of the GAA calendar, fills Croke Park to its 82,300 capacity with the two counties' colours covering the terraces. The League of Ireland season tightens through the autumn, with the title race and the relegation fight sharpening the Dublin derbies.

The new rugby season opens — Leinster's URC campaign begins at the RDS Arena and the Energia All-Ireland League club season starts at Donnybrook, Lansdowne and the Dublin club grounds.

October

October is a rugby-heavy month — Leinster's URC home dates run at the RDS Arena and the Energia All-Ireland League club programme is in full swing across the Dublin grounds. The League of Ireland season reaches its decisive weeks, with the Premier Division title and European places settled on the field.

The Dublin Marathon every autumn fills the city-centre streets with 20,000-plus runners. The Autumn Internationals at the Aviva Stadium begin in late October or early November.

November

The Autumn Internationals run through November at the Aviva Stadium with Ireland hosting the Southern Hemisphere rugby touring sides — the heaviest rugby crowds of the autumn. The FAI Cup Final fills the Aviva to close the League of Ireland season.

Leinster Rugby continues its URC and Champions Cup home dates at the RDS Arena. The All-Ireland club GAA Championship rounds run at grounds across the county as the new club season builds.

December

December is a packed rugby stretch — the Investec Champions Cup pool rounds bring marquee European nights to the RDS Arena and the Aviva Stadium, with Leinster's home fixtures among the hottest tickets of the winter. The League of Ireland is in its off-season, and the GAA club Championship runs toward the provincial finals.

Leopardstown Racecourse in Foxrock hosts the Christmas Festival, the highlight of the Dublin racing calendar, drawing big crowds across the festive week.